Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Historian

🎯 Role Definition

As a Historian you will design and execute original historical research projects and translate complex primary-source analysis into scholarly publications, public exhibitions, educational programming, and digital content. You will be responsible for managing collections or research portfolios, applying professional archival and metadata standards, and communicating historical narratives to diverse audiences across academic, museum, community, and digital platforms. This role balances rigorous scholarship with practical project management, stakeholder engagement, and a focus on accessibility, preservation, and impact.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Research Assistant / Research Associate in history, archives, or museums
Academic graduate student (MA/PhD) in history, public history, or related disciplines
Museum technician, archival technician, or collections assistant

Advancement To:

Senior Historian / Lead Historian
Curator or Senior Curator
Head of Research, Collections Manager, or Director of Public History
Tenure-track faculty (Assistant/Associate Professor) or Senior Research Fellow

Lateral Moves:

Archivist / Digital Archivist
Public Historian or Community History Coordinator
Museum Educator or Interpretive Planner
Digital Humanities Specialist / Collections Systems Analyst

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conduct original, in-depth archival and primary-source research using manuscripts, government records, newspapers, photographs, maps and oral histories to produce publishable scholarship, exhibition narratives, grant proposals, and interpretive text that advances institutional and public understanding of historical topics.
Develop and manage multi-year research projects from conceptualization through dissemination, including research design, literature review, source acquisition, methodology selection, timeline creation, budget oversight, and project outcome assessment.
Prepare and publish well-documented historical analyses, peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, white papers, exhibition catalogs, or digital exhibits that meet professional standards for citation, argumentation, and historiography.
Create exhibit and interpretive plans that translate scholarly research into compelling narratives for museum galleries, online platforms, public programs, and educational resources; oversee content development, labeling, multimedia components, and ADA-accessible interpretation.
Curate and coordinate temporary and permanent exhibitions: select objects and sources, develop interpretive frameworks, supervise conservation handling, arrange object loans, and collaborate with designers, conservators, and educators to ensure scholarly and visitor-centered outcomes.
Identify, appraise, accession, and deaccession archival materials and artifacts in accordance with institutional policies and professional ethics; produce descriptive finding aids, inventories, and catalog records that improve discoverability and stewardship.
Implement and maintain archival metadata standards (e.g., EAD, Dublin Core, METS) and controlled vocabularies to ensure interoperability, searchability, and long-term access of digital and physical collections.
Lead digitization initiatives for textual, photographic, audiovisual and three-dimensional materials, specifying technical standards (file formats, resolution, color profiles), QC procedures, and preservation packaging to create accessible digital surrogates and born-digital collections.
Design, conduct, and archive oral history projects: develop project protocols, consent forms, interview guides, recording standards, transcription workflows, and ethical handling procedures that center informed consent and community collaboration.
Build and manage collaborative relationships with academic departments, community groups, donors, cultural institutions, and Indigenous or descendant communities to ensure research is inclusive, ethically grounded, and responsive to stakeholder needs.
Prepare competitive grant proposals and funding applications to secure external resources for research, exhibitions, digitization, community programs, and preservation projects; manage awarded budgets, reporting, and deliverables.
Supervise and mentor staff, interns, fellows, and student researchers, providing training on archival handling, research methods, metadata entry, transcription, and ethical engagement with primary sources.
Oversee or advise on conservation and preventive care for collections, coordinating with conservators on treatment plans, environmental controls, handling protocols, and disaster preparedness to protect long-term integrity of materials.
Maintain provenance, donor agreements, and legal documentation for collections; ensure compliance with copyright, intellectual property, donor restrictions, and institutional accession/deaccession policies.
Create and curate digital exhibits and online collections using content management and digital humanities platforms (e.g., Omeka, CONTENTdm, AtoM, ArchivesSpace), optimizing metadata, images, and narrative content for SEO and public accessibility.
Use GIS and historical mapping techniques to spatially analyze sources, produce interactive maps, and support spatial narratives in research and public history projects.
Apply quantitative methods and data visualization to large historical datasets (e.g., demographic, economic, census records), using tools like R, Python, or Excel to uncover patterns and support historical arguments.
Serve as the institutional point person for research inquiries from scholars, media, educators, students, and the public; triage reference requests, deliver research consultations, and produce research guides and bibliographies.
Design and deliver public programming—lectures, workshops, guided tours, curriculum materials, and K–12 outreach—that communicates historical research to diverse audiences while measuring program impact and engagement.
Lead peer review and editorial processes for in-house publications, journals, or online content; coordinate external reviewers, ensure scholarly rigor, and uphold editorial standards and timelines.
Negotiate and manage loans, reproduction requests, licensing agreements, and image rights for publications, exhibitions, and digital platforms, protecting the institution's legal and financial interests.
Monitor and evaluate the impact and metrics of research outputs, educational programs, and digital projects, compiling reports for stakeholders and using analytics to refine outreach and access strategies.
Advocate for and implement inclusive research practices that acknowledge silenced voices, promote ethical representation, and collaborate with communities to co-curate narratives and shared authority projects.
Keep current with the latest scholarship, professional standards, digital tools, and best practices in historical research, archives, conservation, and public history through continuous professional development, conferences, and memberships.

Secondary Functions

Respond to routine and ad-hoc research and reference requests from faculty, students, and the public, providing bibliographic guidance, citation support, and tailored resource lists.
Support institutional digital strategy by contributing content plans, metadata enrichment, keyword optimization, and content migration projects to increase discoverability of collections online.
Provide training sessions and written documentation for staff on archival procedures, metadata entry, oral history best practices, and object handling to maintain consistent institutional workflows.
Collaborate with IT and digital preservation teams to develop metadata schemas, ingestion pipelines, and backup strategies that align with long-term digital stewardship and access goals.
Assist development and communications teams with storytelling assets, donor-facing materials, and case statements that demonstrate the research and public impact of historical work.
Participate in collection assessment projects and strategic planning exercises to prioritize digitization, conservation, or accessioning initiatives in alignment with institutional goals and fiscal constraints.
Represent the institution at conferences, symposiums, community meetings, and media interviews; prepare press-ready materials, talking points, and accessible summaries of research findings.
Support curricular integration and partnerships with schools and universities by co-developing syllabi, primary-source teaching packets, and credit-bearing internship opportunities.
Assist with routine administrative tasks including budgeting, scheduling, contract oversight for external vendors (conservators, designers, translators), and recordkeeping for audit and accreditation purposes.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Archival research and primary-source analysis across manuscript collections, government records, newspapers, and visual materials.
Proven experience with archival description and metadata standards (EAD, Dublin Core, METS, PREMIS) and implementing controlled vocabularies.
Hands-on familiarity with archives and collections management systems (ArchivesSpace, AtoM, PastPerfect) and digital exhibit platforms (Omeka, CONTENTdm).
Oral history methodology: interview design, recording best practices, transcription, consent documentation, and archival ingestion.
Digitization standards and workflows for preservation-quality imaging (TIFF, master/derivative workflows), audio/video encoding, and image metadata.
Grant writing and external funding management, including budget preparation, reporting, and deliverable coordination.
Historical GIS and spatial analysis (ArcGIS, QGIS) for mapping and visualizing historical data.
Textual analysis and digital humanities tool experience (Python, R, TEI, topic modeling, optical character recognition/NER).
Knowledge of copyright, licensing, provenance, donor agreements, and ethical/legal issues affecting collections access and reproduction.
Exhibit and interpretive planning skills, including content development for wall copy, multimedia, and user-centered design.
Conservation awareness: basic preventive care principles, environmental monitoring, and collaboration with conservators.
Database querying and data management skills (SQL or equivalent), and experience working with large datasets (census, genealogical, economic records).

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication, with ability to translate academic research into accessible public-facing narratives.
Strong project management skills: planning, budgeting, timeline management, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
Cultural competency and community engagement aptitude; sensitivity to descendant communities and ethical co-curation practices.
Critical thinking, historiographical awareness, and meticulous attention to detail in citation and documentation.
Collaborative mindset and experience working across interdisciplinary teams—curators, educators, conservators, developers, and fundraisers.
Public speaking and teaching ability for lectures, tours, and classroom integration.
Initiative and resourcefulness in troubleshooting research or technical challenges.
Time management and prioritization in a deadline-driven environment.
Adaptability to evolving digital tools, access platforms, and institutional priorities.
Mentoring and supervisory skills for training staff, interns, and volunteers.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in History or related field (e.g., Public History, Museum Studies, Library Science).

Preferred Education:

Master's degree (MA, MLIS) or PhD in History, Public History, Museum Studies, Library and Information Science, or Archival Studies.

Relevant Fields of Study:

History (specializations welcome: social, cultural, labor, urban, colonial/postcolonial, environmental)
Public History
Museum Studies or Curatorial Practice
Library and Information Science (MLS/MLIS) with archival concentration
Archival Studies / Archival Management
Digital Humanities, Anthropology, or Historical Geography

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

3–8 years professional experience in archives, museums, libraries, academic research, or public history projects.

Preferred:

5+ years of demonstrated experience leading research projects, managing collections or exhibitions, and securing or managing grant-funded work; experience supervising staff or interns and producing public-facing scholarship or programming.